Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2)

by Ashley Farley

  “How much time will all that take?” Ellie asked.

  “Several months at least.”

  She gripped the arms of her chair. “I gave my sister the opportunity to straighten out her life, and she took advantage of me. From now on, my nieces are my primary concern. If Lia shows up tomorrow wanting them back, I’ll take her to court and fight for them. Any woman who goes seven months without so much as a phone call to her three-year-old daughters doesn’t deserve to be their mother.”

  #

  Ellie and Julian didn’t speak to one another as they rode to the lobby in the elevator. There was no point in starting a conversation they couldn’t finish. They would wait until after the twins went to bed that night to discuss what they’d learned at the meeting.

  “I’m going to take a drive. I need to be by myself for a while, but I won’t be long.” She checked the time on her phone. It was nearly five o’clock. “Do you want me to text Becca, to see if she can stay with the twins until I get home?”

  “That’s not necessary. I’m going home now. I’ll take the girls to pick up some dinner. Anything special you’re craving?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m craving a home-cooked meal.”

  “Starting tomorrow night, you’ll have all the home-cooked meals your heart desires.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll surprise you with dinner,” he said over his shoulder as they parted on the street.

  “Anything but pizza,” she called after him.

  Ellie seldom let her emotions get the best of her, but on the rare occasion she couldn’t hold back any longer, she sought refuge in her car. She maneuvered her Mini out of the parallel parking space and headed off in the opposite direction of home. Tears blurred her vision, and loud sobs filled the empty space in her Mini as she drove aimlessly around town. She had no particular destination in mind, but she wasn’t surprised to find herself parking her car in front of the Fuquas’ residence. The shades were still drawn, and no one appeared to be at home.

  The baby growing in her belly was sucking up most of her energy. Worrying about the twins and Lia and Ruby was sapping the little that remained. She swiped away her tears. She owed it to the baby, and to Julian, to pull herself together. She put the car in gear. As she was pulling away from the curb, a minivan rounded the corner and pulled up in front of the house across the street. A plump-but-attractive woman about Ellie’s age got out of the van and walked up the sidewalk. Pink geraniums spilled from planters flanking the yellow front door. Two rocking chairs occupied the front porch, and an American flag hung from one of the columns. The house appeared more loved and cared for than any other on the street.

  Ellie got out of her car and jogged across the street. “Excuse me, ma’am. Can I have a moment of your time?”

  The woman walked back down the sidewalk to greet her.

  Ellie offered her hand. “I’m Ellie Hagood. I teach art at the elementary school.”

  “And I’m Marta McGinnis. Pleased to make your acquaintance. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m curious about your neighbors across the street. Ruby hasn’t been in school the past couple of days, and I’m worried about her.”

  Marta’s face grew serious. “I’ve been worried myself. Strange things have been happening in that house since Gina—that’s Ruby’s mother—got herself a new live-in boyfriend.”

  Ellie suddenly felt chilled despite the warm evening. “What kind of things?”

  “Shady-looking characters coming and going at all hours of the night. My guess is they’re running drugs out of that house. I’ve been extra careful to lock my doors.”

  “Do you know what kind of cars they have?” Ellie asked, turning toward the Fuquas’ house. “I’ve driven by a couple of times today, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s home.”

  “Gina doesn’t have a car,” Marta said. “At least as far as I know. I don’t think the boyfriend does either. I haven’t seen the same vehicle parked over there more than once or twice.”

  “Does Ruby have any siblings?”

  “Nope. She’s an only child. She’s a sweet girl, like a daughter to me since I don’t have any children of my own. She’s always eager to help me bring in the groceries or work in the yard. She planted these geraniums for me.”

  Ellie smiled. “I noticed them. They’re lovely. And Ruby is a sweet girl. But she hasn’t been her perky self lately, which is why I’m worried about her.”

  The woman’s hazel eyes narrowed. “I haven’t seen much of her either in the past week, now that I think about it. You mentioned that she’s been absent from school. I hope nothing happened to her. I dismissed it at the time. Folks on this street are always arguing over something or another. But Gina and her boyfriend had a humdinger of a fight over the weekend. I happened to be sleeping with my windows open that night, because my air conditioner was on the fritz. I heard the screaming and yelling all the way in my bedroom at the back of the house.”

  Panic gripped Ellie’s chest. “When, exactly, over the weekend?”

  “Sometime past midnight on Saturday night.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Ellie

  Julian and Ellie had just finished putting the girls to bed when he received a call from his daughter. He went into his study and closed the door. Ellie was in her studio going through her emails when he emerged a short time later.

  He plopped down on the sofa in front of her desk. “Katie canceled on me for this weekend.”

  Ellie looked up from her computer. “Oh no! I thought you said her last soccer tournament was last weekend.”

  “Soccer is over. She canceled for a different reason this time. She’s been invited to a friend’s birthday party. One of the girls on her team is having a mother-daughter campout on Friday night at a lake near Spartanburg. They are going hiking on Saturday.”

  She left her desk and went to stand in front of him. “It’s not my place to say anything, so feel free to tell me to mind my own business. It’s not fair for her to cancel on you at the last minute all the time. You need to do something about this situation.”

  “It is your place to say something. You’re my wife and her stepmother.” Julian stretched out on the sofa and pulled Ellie down beside him. “Laura is violating our custody agreement. I’m glad you suggested I keep a journal. It gives me proof of her noncompliance. Problem is, if I put my foot down and force her to miss the party, she’ll end up resenting me for it. I worry that the older she gets, as her social life becomes more important to her, she’ll have a new excuse every weekend and I’ll never see her. My life is here, in Charleston, with you. I can’t move to Spartanburg, even if I wanted to.”

  Ellie craned her neck to see him. “Did you talk to Laura on the phone just now?”

  “No,” he said. “I asked Katie to put her mom on the phone, but Katie said she wasn’t available.”

  Ellie’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you think she left Katie all by herself on a weeknight?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Katie said her mother was in the bathtub, but I got the impression she’s hiding something. I’ve dismissed it the times you’ve mentioned it before, but I think you might be right. I think Laura may be poisoning Katie’s mind against us.”

  “What did she say to make you think that?”

  “I told her I was disappointed she wasn’t coming this weekend and asked if she’d consider coming the following weekend, for the twins’ birthday. She accused me of not loving her anymore now that I have you and the twins. I tried to reassure her that that wasn’t the case, but she started crying and hung up on me.”

  “I’m so sorry, Julian. I know how hard this is for you, having her so far away.”

  “I need some quality time with her to reconnect, so I can figure out what’s going on with her. If she’s content with her life, I’ll have to settle for driving to Spartanburg once a month for Sunday brunch. If she’s not happy, then I’ll take her mother to court.”

  “You’ll have two weeks with Katie
this summer,” Ellie said. “That should give you an opportunity to reconnect. Have you given any thought to how you want to spend your time together?”

  “I thought I’d let her have a week in Charleston to visit with her friends, and then rent a house on one of the local beaches for the second week.” He snuggled his feet with hers. “Do you have a choice of beaches?”

  “Me?” Ellie’s face registered surprise. Thus far, Julian had been vague about his plans for his summer vacation with his daughter. She wasn’t sure until that moment if she and the twins were even invited. “Any beach sounds heavenly to me right now.”

  “We’ll be lucky if I find any beach rental at this late date.”

  “You? The popular Julian Hagood? I’m sure you know someone willing to rent their beach house to you for a week.”

  “Hmm.” He paused for a minute as he thought about it. “You’re right. I have some ideas. I’ll get to work on it right away.” He drew an imaginary line with his fingertip from the top of her forehead down her nose to her lips. “I like it when you smile. I’m glad to see you’re in a better mood. You seemed rattled earlier at Tyler’s office. Your drive must have cleared your head.”

  Rolling on her side, she placed her back to him while she told him about her confrontation with the Peninsula School principal. “Can you believe it? Rose actually fired me from my volunteer job.”

  Julian wrapped his arm around her from behind and drew her close. “Your compassion toward other people is one of the things I love most about you. I can see where it would be difficult for you to resist getting involved in your students’ lives.”

  “Not all my students, Julian. Just Ruby.” She rolled off the sofa, crossed the room to the Keurig machine, and brewed herself a cup of chamomile tea. “I feel a special connection to Ruby, and I think she feels the same way about me. She reminds me of myself at that age. She puts on a brave face, but I sense she’s scared and lonely deep down inside.”

  Julian joined her in front of the coffee machine. He placed his hand on her belly. “You need to think about your own safety and the safety of our unborn child. We don’t know what’s going on with Ruby’s home life, but the last thing you need to do is get involved in a domestic dispute.”

  Ellie looked away from her husband.

  I wonder how he’d react if he knew I risked our unborn baby’s life today when I drove by and stopped in front of the Fuquas’ house.

  Not only did they live in an unsafe neighborhood, Marta had speculated that Ruby’s mother and boyfriend were dealing drugs. And where there were drug deals, there were shoot-outs.

  “You’re right,” she said in a soft voice. “I’ll let the police handle the situation from now on.”

  He tilted her chin and kissed her lips. “Come on.” He took her by the hand. “Let’s go play house in our new kitchen. I’ve started my grocery list. It’ll take me four trips to restock the pantry and refrigerator.”

  “I can help with that, you know.” She increased her stride to keep up with him. “You’ve got to stop pampering me. I know this pregnancy is high risk, but I’m not bedridden. At least not yet.”

  While Ellie sipped her tea, Julian opened and closed cabinet doors, deciding where the contents of the mountain of boxes piled high in the living room would go. China and glassware. Pots and pans. Eating and cooking utensils. Serving platters and casserole dishes.

  “We have so much stuff. Between your house, my apartment in California, and the few of my grandmother’s things I decided to keep—it’ll take us all summer to get settled.” She sat down on the banquette under the window. “What do you think about the table?”

  He ran his hand across the top of the table. “I approve of the lighter finish. It shows off the grain in the wood.”

  Ellie stared down at the aqua-and-coral-striped fabric on the bench. “How smart was it to laminate this fabric with two messy toddlers in the house and a baby on the way?”

  “Jackie does a nice job. I’m glad you like working with her.” Julian opened a set of bifold doors, revealing a brand-new washer and dryer. “I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad to get rid of the other washer and dryer. They’re ancient, circa 1949.”

  Ellie joined him in front of the washer and dryer. “Moving the utility room to the kitchen was a genius idea. Now our guests won’t be staring down the hall into the utility room when they come in the front door.”

  “Instead, they’ll be looking at a powder room.” She curled her lip up in distaste, and he patted her back. “Don’t worry. We’ll put a special hinge on the door so it stays closed when not in use.”

  Converting the current utility room to a powder room was the final stage of their renovation. “I understand the contractor was waiting until the kitchen was finished to gut the utility room, but I’m definitely not looking forward to more construction. How long will it take?”

  “A few weeks max. The workmen have promised to stay out of our way as much as possible.” He closed the door on the closet, and they turned to face the kitchen.” He drew her in for a half hug. “Are you happy with the outcome?”

  “Very much so.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Everything is coming together just as I’d hoped. The room is sophisticated without being sterile. It’s bright and cheerful, a warm nest for our little brood.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Ellie

  The technicians showed up bright and early on Wednesday morning to install the Carrara marble countertops. As soon as they finished, the plumbers came to hook up the sinks. The last workmen left at two o’clock that afternoon. The contractor arrived shortly thereafter to inspect their work and announced the project complete. Julian left immediately to stock up on groceries at the Harris Teeter while Maddie and Ellie cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. Ellie unpacked boxes, loading the cabinets with dishes and glassware, while Maddie baked the promised dessert.

  “That looks amazing,” Ellie said when Maddie removed the bubbling blueberry cobbler from the oven. “Why don’t you stay for dinner? We’d love to have you.”

  “Thanks, Miss Ellie, but I need to get home to my husband. He’ll be looking for his supper. But I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning to cook the biggest breakfast you ever seen—waffles for the twins, and breakfast hash for you and Mr. Julian.”

  Ellie’s mouth watered at the thought of breakfast hash—eggs, hash browns, cheese, and sausage cooked together in an iron skillet. “Yum, Maddie. I haven’t had breakfast hash since I was a child.”

  “You just wait. I have lots of recipes up my sleeve.” Maddie retrieved her jacket and purse from the utility room and bid her good night.

  Julian and Ellie were in the kitchen with the twins when Ellie’s father arrived at six o’clock with a bottle of prosecco to christen the new room. He popped the cork and poured three glasses. They clinked in a toast and he circled the room, sipping his wine as he admired the improvements. “You’ve really done an extraordinary job. The craftsmanship of the cabinets is spectacular.”

  “My talented architect gets all the credit.” Ellie held her glass up again. “To Julian. And to Julian’s new job.” She pretended to take a sip, then set her glass down on the counter.

  “What new job?” Abbott asked.

  She looped her arm through her husband’s and leaned against him. “My amazing man has just been awarded the Campbell project.”

  Abbott’s dark eyes grew large. “You mean that monster Italianate three blocks south of here?”

  “That’s the one.” Julian had been wearing the same grin since that morning when he’d received the call from Pete Campbell offering him the job.

  “That is something to celebrate. Congratulations, son.” Abbott lifted his glass to Julian and then drained its contents. He eyeballed Ellie’s untouched glass on the counter. “Don’t you like the wine?”

  She’d planned to wait until after dinner when the twins went to bed, but the moment felt right to break the news. She looked over at the twin
s, who sat at the table, completely preoccupied with the coloring books Abbott had brought them.

  “It’s not the wine.” She waved away his concern with the flick of her wrist. “I’ve been feeling a little nauseous lately.”

  He studied her face intently. “You do look a little green, now that you mention it. Maybe you’re coming down with the stomach flu. How long have you been feeling this way?”

  A mischievous smile tugged on her lips. “About ten weeks now.”

  Abbott’s jaw hit the marble countertop. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “We have something else to celebrate tonight besides the kitchen and Julian’s new project. I’m expecting a baby at the end of September. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to wait until I passed the three-month mark.” She slid her full wineglass toward him. “I hate to waste this. You might as well enjoy it for me.”

  “That’s amazing news, sweetheart.” He lifted her off the ground in a bear hug and then quickly set her down again. “I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  “Please don’t fuss. My husband is coddling me enough as it is.” Ellie made a silly cross-eyed face at Julian before turning back to her father. “Before you ask, Dad, my pregnancy is considered high risk because of my age, but my doctor has assured me that everything looks good.”

  He palmed his forehead. “Wow! I haven’t felt this excited about anything since . . . well, since I don’t know when. Let me have a look at you, sweetheart.” He held her at arm’s length, examining her from head to toe, his eyes lingering on her belly.

  She laughed. “Are you looking for this?” she asked, pulling her tunic taut across her swollen tummy. Her tighter-fitting clothes had gotten snug in the few days since their return from Florida, and she’d begun wearing leggings and loose-fitting tops.

  He placed a hand on her belly. “Well, I’ll be damned!”